Disturbing similarities in cases of sex offenders violating parole

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Jerry Don Seib, 53, was convicted of five counts of indecency with a child. He’s considered a hi-risk sex offender with violent tendencies.

No one within the state’s criminal justice system wanted to see 46-year-old Jose Gilberto Rodriguez or Seib be released from prison.   But due to the state’s old mandatory release law, both had to be freed and placed under mandatory supervision.

Seib was released in 2014.

“Every year he violated his parole in one form or fashion and he keeps getting caught and he keeps doing it over and over again,” said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.

But he never got charged with a crime. Why? Violating the terms of parole is not against the law.

Now there’s talk of changing state law so parolees who abscond would be charged with felony escape.

“Particularly violent offenders and sex offenders,” Kahan said.

In 2016, Seib lived at one of three addresses 12742, 12744 and 12748 Shannon Hills. According to the state’s sex offender database, 17 sex offenders call these three connected addresses home.

“Unfortunately it’s an example of what I suspected might be going on in the neighborhoods in the community,” said City Council Member Brenda Stardig.

Stardig visited the alternative housing facility on Pennel where Rodriguez and 23 other sex offenders claim to live.

These facilities are the reason the city council member pushed for a new ordinance to regulate them.

“We need to make sure everyone’s protected inside and outside," Stardig said.

The Southeast Texas Transitional Center on Old Beaumont highway is Seib’s last known address. $8.5 million tax funds this halfway house annually. It houses around 500 parolees and many like Seib are sex offenders.

Back in 2003, it was called the Ben Reid Facility. Our hidden camera caught parolees inside smoking crack and other drugs.

Seib absconded from the halfway house on July 20.

When he’s caught, he will likely spend less than a year behind bars and be freed again due to his mandatory release status.

“You still have a pool of  violent offenders and sex offenders that are coming out and there’s nothing you can do to stop it," Kahan said.

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